Hedgehog Love
by Elfian Aqua
Summary: She was the least popular hedgehog in town. He was the most popular hedgehog in the world. Destiny brung them together. Sonic would do everything in his power to drive them apart. Hedgehog Love, a Sonic & Amy story. Sometimes love just wasn’t meant to be.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer **- I do not own the Sonic characters.

* * *

_**Part 1:**_

Stop loving me.

_I won't._

**I will.**

**

* * *

  
**

_Sonic, I love you!_

_Marry me, Sonic!_

_Sonic, help!_

Of the three cries that Sonic heard from Amy on a near daily basis, he chose to come running for only one. Today was different, though. Today when Eggman carried away a screaming Amy, Sonic merely watched. He watched and wondered if, by saving Amy, he gave her a subliminal message. Whenever he rescued her, perhaps he unintentionally told her that—as she so often reminded him—he truly loved her.

As Eggman and Amy faded farther into the distance, Sonic tapped his foot and wondered what he should do. The answer came to him, soon enough: he simply wouldn't save Amy.

-

**Chapter One**

-

Kicking robot butt always amused Shadow, and he needed the workout, so when Sonic asked him to save Amy for him, he accepted. After arriving on Egg Carrier 132, it took Shadow thirty minutes to completely trash the place—nowhere close to Sonic's record three minutes; still, with explosions occurring in numerous places onboard and the ship itself hurtling toward the ocean, Shadow figured now was as good a time as any to rescue Amy.

The door to the room that held her opened with a soft swish. He stepped inside and saw the giant glass tube that detained her. "Amy."

Her back had been facing him, but upon hearing her name, she instantly turned. "Soni—! Shadow?" She'd been smiling, but her smile turned upside down. "Where's Sonic?"

Shadow tapped the glass tube with his finger; it shattered. "He had a doctor's appointment." He held out his hand. "Let's go. This place is going to be underwater in a few minutes, and I don't know about you, but I can't swim."

She hesitated before placing her hand in his. "He…had an appointment?"

Shadow shrugged. "That's what he told me."

2.999 seconds later, Shadow and Amy—hand in hand—stood on Topaz Town's sandy beach. Their eyes were locked on the Egg Carrier 132 as it made its decent into the ocean. Shadow felt kind of warm and fuzzy as he watched. Doing good things was nice, he thought. Holding Amy's hand was nice.

"Did he need to see the dentist," Amy asked, shattering the peaceful moment between hero and the rescued.

Shadow watched as the last bit of the Egg Carrier sank beneath the waves. "I don't know. He just said it was a doctor's appointment." He massaged the back of Amy's hand with his thumb. "Say, do you want to go get something to eat?"

"No." She pulled her gloved hand from his and turned to the direction of her home. "He saw the optometrist last month, so…" Her muttering voice faded as she walked away.

Shadow watched her departure with forlorn eyes. His hand burned from the feel of her touch. His face burned from the heat of the sun. "I'm thirsty."

* * *

Shadow never carried money on him, and the floating island was a long ways away. There was only one place he could get something cool to drink. "Give me a Pink Princess Strawberry Splash."

Tails, taking a pause from being a genius of invention, had tried his hand at business and opened a small juice bar. The small juice bar became a large juice club within two weeks. It relocated to a five story building that had a dance floor, game floor, sparring floor, racing floor, and—his favorite—science floor. Having upsized so quickly to something so grand, no one doubted that the young fox was also a genius in business; so no one wondered how Tails, with so much to manage, found the time to run the science floor's juice bar.

"And how do you plan on paying for that," Tails asked, not bothering to look up from his copy of _Science Weekly_. He sat at the bar he tended, in a room filled with steel tables, lab charts, and other "sciency things."

"Just put it on my tab."

Shadow's indigence had not gone unnoticed by those who knew him. Out of kindness, but mostly pity, they offered him help. Knuckles had offered the most help by allowing Shadow to live on his island. Tails' help had been to offer Shadow a limitless tab that he could pay off whenever he was fortunate enough to happen upon money. With the way money always seemed to fall into his, Sonic, and Amy's lap; Tails had been sure that Shadow would pay off his tab in no time. He'd been wrong.

Shadow's tab was currently at 1058 dollars and 84 cents, and he'd incurred this debt in less than one week. One week! The only logical thing for Tails to do was to revoke Shadow his privilege of a tab until the debt was paid. After all, Tails was a businessman—not a charity.

"Then one glass of water it is." Tails set down his magazine and prepared a glass of water.

Shadow took the glass and downed half its liquid in one gulp. He held the glass between both his hands and stared down into it. The Pink Princess Strawberry Splash tasted bland.

As if reading his thoughts, Tails reminded Shadow, "It's water."

"Oh." Shadow set the glass down. He looked over the counter at Tails who had resumed reading _Science Weekly_. "Do you think," Shadow asked tentatively, "that Amy likes anyone?"

Tails sighed. So Shadow had finally become aware of his feeling for Amy. Poor guy. "Yep."

Shadow nodded and fingered the rim of his glass. "Who do you think it is?"

"Sonic."

With a sharp intake of breath, Shadow's eyes widened. He felt suddenly nauseous, and the hand that had burned with Amy's warmth grew cold.

"If you're going to throw up, you know where the bathroom is."

Shadow did not throw up. He sat on his barstool with his arms hanging limply at his sides. His eyes opened and shut gradually, and his chest slowly rose and fell with each breath. "I don't believe you."

Tails shrugged. "If you don't believe me, ask her yourself. Or maybe you should just keep your eyes and ears open whenever she's around Sonic." He glanced up at Shadow. The hedgehog was staring into the depths of his glass. He looked fragile—like the tiniest touch might cause him to break. Tails felt the urge to make him a Pink Princess Strawberry Splash. "Do you want more water?"

"No." Shadow stood. "No thanks."

"Going home?" Shadow nodded, turned, and walked away. "Remember your debt if you get any money," Tails called after him.

* * *

Shadow arrived on Angel Island when the sun had vanished beneath the horizon. The moon was well overhead and stars peppered the sky. He was hungry.

Knuckles was at his usual spot, in front of the Master Emerald. A fire had been lighted not far away; by the light of it, he waxed the large gem. "Welcome home," Knuckles said upon hearing the familiar footsteps of his island guest.

"I'm home," Shadow replied. "What's for dinner?"

Knuckles nodded to the pizza box by the fire. "Extra cheese with pineapple." He smirked. "The pizza boy was an hour late, so it was free."

Shadow stared at the box. Cold pizza meant rubbery cheese with pineapples that would slide right off. His appetite disappeared.

He sat next to the fire and stared into the flames. "Did you know that Amy likes Sonic?"

Unbeknownst to Shadow, Knuckle's eyes widened and his hand stopped waxing. "What?"

"I just found out today," Shadow said. The wavering flames reminded him of Amy's quills, fluttering in the wind. "I can't believe I never noticed. I'm supposed to be the ultimate life form, but I couldn't even see that."

After awhile, Shadow glanced up at Knuckles. The echidna was still waxing the emerald, but his movements were slow and stiff. "I'm going to turn in for the night," Shadow said. He went to bed.

The next morning when Shadow awoke, it was four o'clock. He went about his usual routine: showering, patrolling, housekeeping, and cooking.

At eight when Knuckles got up, breakfast was on the table. "Did you have a good night," Shadow asked. Knuckles did not reply. He sat in front of the plate that Shadow had prepared for him and started eating. "I had a good night," Shadow said. "And I'm going to have a good day." He shoveled a forkful of eggs into his mouth.

The fog of sleep was lifting from Knuckles. He glanced up at Shadow. "Got anything special planned for today?"

"Yes, and that's precisely _why_ I know it's going to be a good day."

Knuckles nodded and took a sip of orange juice. "Whatcha got planned?"

"I'm going to tell Amy how I feel about her."

The glass slipped from Knuckles' grasp and fell on its side. Orange juice spilled over the table's top and onto his lap. "Shoot!" Pushing his chair back, Knuckles got to his feet. After cleaning the mess, he sat back down.

Shadow was done eating by then, but he remained in his seat. He still wanted to talk. "I was wondering if we could go shoe shopping after breakfast."

Knuckles did not look at him. "I don't think that's a good idea. I have a lot of patrolling to do today, and I was planning on doing some digging."

Shadow nodded. "Okay, maybe some other time." He stood. "I'm going to talk to Amy now. Wish me luck." Knuckles did. Shadow smiled and left.


	2. Chapter 2

Sonic knew that his "unplanned" encounters with Amy were anything but. Amy stalked him. She had his daily routine written in a little black book that she'd once shown Tails.

Every run-in with him was planned. He'd known this for quite some time. He'd known but done nothing. Though there really was nothing he could do. Amy wouldn't stop stalking him even if he asked, and he had.

Yet, there was one place Amy never unexpectedly ran into him. His abode. For reasons he couldn't imagine, Amy refrained from entering his place of living. Perhaps she knew that he needed somewhere to be completely free of her persistent declarations of love, or perhaps she just couldn't get past the hotel's first floor security. Whatever the reason, Amy never bothered him at Topaz Hotel. Sonic pondered this.

As he ate the breakfast that room service had brought him, his pondering branched out. What would Amy do if she were unable to stalk him? She would forget about him, right? After all, out of sight, out of mind.

_Then that's it_, he decided. He wouldn't leave the hotel for a week. And during that week, Amy would be sure to fall out of love with him.

-

**Chapter Two**

-

"Amy." Shadow found her standing outside Topaz Hotel, staring longingly at the revolving doors.

"Hmm?"

"Can I talk to you about something?"

Her gaze remained on the doors, hopeful, desperate. "Now really isn't a good time."

"But it's important."

"Now really isn't good time."

Shadow stared at her. She wore her usual red dress and matching red boots. Her usual hair band rested on her head's quills, brushed back in their usual style. Usual, ordinary, everyday; as appropriate as these words were for describing Amy, Shadow did not believe they suited her. For, whenever he looked at Amy, he saw extraordinary. And if this extraordinary female said that now wasn't a good time to talk, now wasn't a good time to talk. "Okay."

He remained next to her, his hand itching for hers.

She remained where she stood, eyes fixed on revolving doors. "Shadow?"

He leaned toward her and sniffed her fragrant quills. "Hmm?"

"You look like Sonic, right?"

His eyes did a quick sweep of her delectable form. "No."

"So then there should be no problem if you went in there and said you were Sonic and asked for another key to your room, saying you'd lost yours?"

"There would be a problem."

Amy nodded. Shadow reached for her hand. Amy clasped her hands together and tucked them beneath her chin. "Oh," she sighed, "why won't Sonic come out and take my hand."

If she let him, Shadow would take her hand. "Amy."

"He must be feeling extra shy today."

If she let him, Shadow would unabashedly hold her. "Amy."

"I just know that must be it. He'd be out here if it weren't."

"Amy." His voice didn't reach her. He moved in front of her, but she didn't see him. She spoke, but it wasn't to him. Her words streamed passed him, flowed through the revolving doors, and into an elevator, going up to the floor of the hedgehog who resided in her heart.

"I love you, Amy," Shadow said and knew that the words would never reach her. "I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you."

A gloved hand wrapped around his arm, then; tugging him away from Amy; tugging him down the sidewalk. Yet he continued his declarations.

Amy stayed where she stood, oblivious of Shadow's departure. Her gaze never shifted from the revolving doors.

* * *

"A Pink Princess Strawberry Splash." Tails set the drink on the counter and slid it to Shadow. "Don't worry, this one's on the house." He reached for the phone below the counter and gave Shadow a big grin. "You earned it."

Shadow didn't feel like he'd earned anything. He felt like someone had walked inside him and taken everything out. He felt empty.

"Hey Knuckles, this is Tails. Fine, just fine. Can you guess why I called?"

Shadow looked at the drink before him, stared down into the depths of the translucent pink liquid. "Pink," he murmured.

"That's right. And I got it on camera too, just in case you want to see it."

Shadow encircled the glass with both hands. He cradled the glass and murmured, "Princess."

"Knuckles, Knuckles, Knuckles. Begging doesn't suit you."

Shadow lifted the rim of the glass to his lips and sipped. Returning the glass to the countertop, he murmured, "Strawberry Splash."

"What else could you possibly have to offer?"

* * *

Shadow returned to Angel Island when the sun was high in the sky. The air, lacking its earlier coolness, stung one's flesh with its sultriness. Shade provided no shelter from the heat. Breezes provided no relief. A house with air-conditioning provided relief.

Shadow walked into the house that he and Knuckles shared, the house that had been built two months ago, funded by Tails. Knuckles had never told him why Tails had funded the building of their home. Shadow had never thought to ask.

Heat saturated the house. Shadow checked the thermostat and found the central air set to _off_. He turned the air on and set the temperature to 50°F.

"Knuckles?" The echidna wasn't with the Master Emerald, so he was either patrolling the island or resting in the house. Shadow hoped it was the latter, because he really needed to talk to him. "Knuckles, are you home?"

Shadow walked into the living room and found Knuckles on the couch. He sat with his forearms resting heavily against his upper legs. His hands were clasped, his forehead pressed against them. His hunched back convulsed spasmodically.

Shadow placed a hand on his shoulder. "I don't think Amy will ever love me," he said. Then, sitting next to Knuckles, he simulated his hunched form. "She's so in love with Sonic that she can't see anyone around her."

Knuckles nodded and _hmmed_, half listening. His mind buzzed with fear and guilt.

"I told her, again and again, that I loved her, but she didn't even hear me. It was like I wasn't even there." Shadow fell silent, allowing Knuckles the opportunity to put in a few comforting words.

Knuckles did not speak.

Shadow continued waiting.

Then, "Shadow." Knuckles sat up, his back rested against the cushions, his hands splayed against his legs. "Don't give up on Amy." He turned his face to the hunched hedgehog, his eyes desperate, hopeful. "Please, don't give up on her."


	3. Chapter 3

The strange thing about gambling, Sonic found, was that he always came out even. Whenever he went into a casino, he left with the same amount he went in with. If he won a couple hundred rings in the slots, he lost them in poker. If he lost a couple hundred rings in black jack, he won them back in the slots. Maybe he should just stick to playing the slots.

But whether he was playing the slots, black jack, or roulette, the strangest thing about gambling remained that he could gamble. He was underage. Tails chalked his being allowed to gamble up to all the times he saved the world. Sonic wasn't too sure of this since Tails wasn't allowed to gamble, and Tails had helped him save the world plenty of times.

Once as Tails had watched him losing game after game of Money Wheel, Tails told him that if he were allowed to gamble, he would never lose. As Sonic lost another twenty rings, he wished that Tails were thirteen years older and playing for him.

Currently playing a game of poker in Topaz Hotel's casino hall, Sonic's four of a kind lost to the dealer's royal flush. He watched the dealer scoop up his winnings and wondered if Tails would have won this match and, more importantly, if Amy had already forgotten him.

-

**Chapter Three**

-

Shadow had left Angel Island two hours ago with a new resolve and a plan, both inspired by Knuckles. He would not give up on Amy, not until his heart broke into a thousand pieces…again. And so he sought out the girl who unknowingly held his heart in her hand.

He found her at Chili-O-Rama, a restaurant that sold chili-prefixed foods. Amy never ordered food when she came here, but she still loved to frequent the eatery. Sahdow was beginning to understand why.

She sat at the booth Sonic usually ate in, elbows rested against the orange tabletop, head propped up by her hands. Her eyes stared vacantly at the faded menu laid before her. She was indubitably thinking of Sonic and so did not notice Shadow slide onto the booth seat across from her. "Amy—"

"Here's you're water, Miss." Cream spoke in a loud annoying voice and smacked her chewing gum. She pushed a glass in front of Amy, ignoring the liquid that splashed over the edges, dampening Amy's gloved hand.

Cream Rabbit was six years old and mother of two. Vanilla Rabbit, her mother, left about three months ago, once again leaving Cream in the care of Amy Rose who held a strong belief in the work ethic. Driven by this belief, Amy got Cream a job at Chili-O-Rama; for, while Amy happened upon enough money to support herself, Cream, and Cream's two Chao, she didn't want to. So Cream worked from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., five days a week.

While at work, Cream was bitter and rude. She smacked her gum and the occasional customer, especially those who "forgot" to tip.

Upon Cream's arrival, Shadow fell silent. He'd learned the hard way that in Cream's presence, you spoke only when spoken to; it was a lesson he did not wish to learn again.

The small rabbit glared up at him and demanded, "Do you have money today?"

Shadow swiftly nodded. For once, he did have money. Knuckles had given him a twenty before he left.

Cream smiled the crooked smile of a shark and slid him a menu. "Good," she said. "Know what you want when I get back." She turned and sauntered off.

Shadow grappled with his thoughts, trying to recall Knuckles' detailed plan. He remembered the first step and put it into action. "Amy, is Sonic here?"

Amy glanced up at him. "No."

Good. Very good. On to step two. "Amy—"

"What do you want to order?" Cream was there again, impatiently tapping her pen on her tablet. She'd been gone only a minute and a half, plenty of time to decide what you wanted, she thought.

"I uh," Shadow stuttered.

"He'd like five chilidogs," Amy said. "Hold the relish. Also, give him a cold glass of root beer." Cream scribbled the order down and left. Amy's hands fell to her lap as she sat back. She looked into Shadow's ruby red eyes with a sadness that froze him. "You were saying?"

"I was saying…" His voice died despite his mind screaming, _Step two__!_ _Step two, you idiot!_ His heart, though whispering, seemed so much louder, saying, _She's hurt._ S_he's sad_._ Help her_. So even though he knew he shouldn't, even though he knew he'd lose her, he asked, "Amy, what's wrong. What can I do to help?"

* * *

People who came to the science floor of Tails' juice club were known as the accidentals. They'd get off the elevator, look across the silent room at the fox bartender, and say, "This isn't the dance floor." Tails would look back and say, "No." Shadow was the only one to purposely come to the science floor, but Tails liked pretending that he too was an accidental.

"What type of girls does Sonic like?"

Tails glanced up from the article he was reading to find Shadow sitting at the bar. Sighing, he put down his magazine and prepared a glass of water. "Why do you ask?" He settled the glass in front of Shadow.

Shadow shrugged. "Just wondering." He lifted the glass to his lips.

Tails drummed his fingers against the countertop. "Hmm…I guess he likes girls who give him space. I don't really know though. Never asked." His eyes peered at Shadow. "Shadow," he paused, "has Knuckles said anything to you?"

Shadow returned the glass to the countertop and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. "About what?"

Tails didn't answer, just continued to stare. Then with a shrug, he turned away, retrieving his magazine. "Never mind, I'm sure you would have said something if he did." His eyes skimmed the page until he found the part he'd stopped at. "Anyway, ask Sonic about your question if you really want to know, because I'm busy. He should be somewhere in the hotel. Said something about not leaving it for a week." With a dismissive wave at Shadow, Tails concentrated on the article in front of him.

* * *

Reclined in one of the chairs that surrounded the hotel's large pool, Sonic stared up at the darkening sky, a mixture of pink and orange. The pink, he thought, the sky could do without. It reminded him of Amy, and he was trying not to think of Amy. Failing at his attempts, he said, "I wonder if she's not thinking about me."

"Who?" A shadow dropped over Sonic, and a voice fell into his ears.

Sonic twisted to see who stood behind him. His brow lifted. "What are you doing here?"


	4. Chapter 4

Amy sat in her Sonic themed apartment, on her Sonic-blue couch, by her phone shaped like Sonic's head. Her brow was creased, and her hands were clenched. She was worried. Sonic had not come out of his hotel; she'd stood at the hotel's front for hours, waiting, but whenever the revolving doors spun, he never appeared. And then there was yesterday's mysterious doctor's appointment, the one which was so important that Sonic chose it over rescuing her. A doctor's appointment. Not leaving his hotel. These things could only mean one thing. Sonic was desperately ill and trying to keep those closest to him from finding out.

"Idiot," Amy muttered. "If you don't tell us, then we can't help." And she would help. Just as soon as she found what he liked. Shutting her eyes, she clasped her hands and pressed her forehead to them. "Please Shadow, hurry up and call."

-

**Chapter Four**

-

Shadow sat in the pool chair next to Sonic, his legs hanging over the side. "Just came to ask you a question."

Sonic stretched out his arms and legs. "What did you want to ask?"

"What type of girls do you like?" The question was straightforward, to the point; just like Shadow.

Sonic replied with a straightforward, to the point answer. "Girls who aren't Amy?"

Shadow nodded, brow creasing. "I guess there's nothing that can be done." He stood.

Sonic looked at him then, eyes filled with an emotion that closely resembled panic, but Sonic never panicked; he made others panic. "Shadow, wait!" Still, his voice sounded almost like the voice of someone who was panicking.

Shadow continued to stand where he'd been standing. "Yes."

"D-don't go just yet." Sonic scrambled to his feet and grabbed Shadow's arm. "Let's hang out for a while. Just like we used to." He pulled Shadow away from the pool, toward the doors that would take them…Shadow had no idea where they were going.

"Sonic, we never hang out."

"Sure we do, little buddy," Sonic affirmed.

"Sonic, I'm Shadow."

Sonic gave him a big goofy grin. "Sure you are, little buddy."

* * *

The front door opened and yellow light spilled into the night. Knuckles stood in the doorway of his house, one hand on the doorknob, the other hanging at his side. He smiled, big and goofy, like Sonic. Shadow cringed. "Please stop smiling." Instead Knuckles smiled wider and pulled Shadow inside.

"Man, you guys must have had one heck of a time." Knuckles closed the door and then ushered Shadow into the living room.

Plopping onto the couch, Shadow held his head. "Like you wouldn't believe."

Knuckles laughed and pumped a fisted hand high in the air. "I knew it! I just knew it!" He dropped next to Shadow and slapped him heartily on the back. "So are you two official yet or what."

Shadow's face crinkled with disgust. "Me and _him_?"

"Yea—" Knuckles stopped with the slapping, his smile dropping to a tiny grin. "Who?"

"Sonic."

Knuckles deadpanned. "What?"

Shadow blinked, confused. "What?"

"What?"

"What?"

"What?"

"Who?"

Knuckles grabbed Shadow's shoulders. "Who have you been with till now?" Shadow told him. Knuckles squeaked nonsensical words and raised his hand, seeming as though he wished to slap someone. Shadow scooted away from Knuckles, just in case that someone was him. Finally, Knuckles dropped his hand and spoke words that Shadow could understand. "What happened to the plan?"

The plan? Oh, the plan! Shadow had completely forgotten about it in his zeal to help Amy. He'd forgotten the plan…and the breaking of his own heart. Shadow held a hand to his heart, and his breathing quickened. "Ahh…"

"I can't believe you," Knuckles hissed. "Why didn't you do what I told you?"

"My heart."

"Would you shut up!" Knuckles rose to his feet, turning his back on Shadow.

Shadow's hand fell, and his eyes rose. "Knuckles?" He stood and came to the echidna's side, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's okay," Shadow said, "I was just being a little overdramatic." Knuckles stepped forward, out of his grasp. Shadow's hand fell, and he stared at his friend's back. "Are you upset about something else?"

Knuckles did not turn to face Shadow. "Do you like living here," he asked. Shadow nodded, but Knuckles did not see. "If you do, then you'll get Amy to go out with you before Sunday." Before Shadow could demand an explanation, or gently ask for one as he was known to do, Knuckles left the room.

* * *

The time was 10 p.m.

Tails' juice bar was open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; he woke up at six in the morning and kept in accordance with Sonic's set bedtime by being in bed at eight. Despite its early opening and closing times, Juice It or Lose It managed to bring in a good number of customers. And with this week's special of staying open till midnight, the club was getting even more patrons. In spite of the new customers, the Science floor was as empty as ever.

"A water, please."

Tails looked up, recognizing the voice but not the order. Shadow sat across from him, elbows resting on the counter, hands propping up his head. He stared at Tails, but Tails knew he wasn't really looking at him—Shadow was lost in thought. Tails didn't care. He was busy on his laptop, getting the checks for tomorrow's payday ready. "I'm busy right now. Go ask Smithy to set you up with a Pink Princess Strawberry Splash."

Shadow did not move. Instead he continued to look but not look at Tails.

Tails bristled. "Smithy runs the bar on the dance floor, Shadow. Good-bye."

Shadow did not move. He heaved a great sigh. He looked but did not look at Tails.

Tails released a loud, annoyed sigh and prepared a glass of water. Sliding the drink in front of Shadow, he moved his laptop several feet away, dragging his stool with it. He sat and continued with the task Shadow had interrupted him from. After several minutes of silent working, he forgot Shadow was there.

Then Shadow spoke. "Sonic doesn't love Amy." Tails' eye twitched; he toyed with the idea of throwing a knife at Shadow's face. "But I love her." Shadow stood and left.

Tails returned to his work. After several minutes of trying, he found he could not concentrate. He looked at the spot where Shadow had been sitting. He stared, drumming his fingers on the countertop. "There's no way," he muttered to himself. "She'll never go out with him." He turned tired eyes back to his laptop's lit screen and forced himself to concentrate on his work.


	5. Chapter 5

Amy did not make dinner last night. Making dinner would mean moving away from the phone, and she couldn't do that. So when Cream came home, asking what was for dinner, Amy told her, "TV dinners."

Last night, Amy did not read bedtime stories. If she left the phone's side, even for a second, she might miss Shadow's call and never know what was wrong with Sonic. She couldn't chance that. So when Cream and her Chao asked when she was going to tuck them in, Amy told them, "I can't tonight."

All night, Amy stayed awake, sitting by the phone, fighting off sleep, waiting for a call that never came.

-

**Chapter Five**

-

"Mmm." Shadow rolled onto his side, consciousness returning to him, the vision of a pink beauty slipping away. He opened his eyes and discovered the dream hadn't quite gone. He could still see her eyes, her gorgeous green eyes.

"Morning, Shadow."

Amy's voice sure sounded more nasally. In fact, it sounded a lot like—"Sonic!" Shadow leapt to his feet and stared down in horror at the blue hedgehog who lied on his side in a sleeping bag next to the one Shadow had been sleeping in.

Sonic smiled cheerily up at him. "Last night was great, wasn't it, little buddy?"

What in Chaos' name was going on here? "I am _not _your buddy."

Sonic pouted. "That's not what you said last night."

Last night? Shadow looked at the empty Pibb Xtra cans that littered the floor; he must have drunken at least fifty. Sugar was known to have made him do some pretty crazy things in the past. Looking at the grinning Sonic, Shadow wondered what sugar had made him do last night. He remembered leaving Tails' juice club, knowing he couldn't go home, wondering where he could sleep. Without his knowledge, his feet had taken him to Sonic's hotel door. He had asked Sonic if he could crash on the couch for the night, and then they started drinking Pibb Xtra, and then…everything was a fog after that.

Shadow shuddered to think what might have happened, feared knowing, but he had to know. "Wh-what did we do last night?"

Sonic looked up at him with a frown. "I can't believe you don't remember. We spent all that time manicuring each other's nails, giving each other facials, and watching movies, and then _you_ go and forget it." Sonic stood and turned. "Well, _whatever_ Shadow. I don't remember any of it either."

Sonic stomped to the bathroom, and Shadow sunk to his knees. "Just a sleepover." Shadow sighed, relieved. "Just a sleepover."

* * *

"Knuckles." The echidna sat before the Master Emerald, scrubbing the stone like his life depended on it. Upon hearing his name, he stopped. His shoulders and head drooped. "We need to talk," Shadow told him.

Knuckles nodded. He turned to him. He sat with crossed legs, hands on his thighs, elbows up and out.

Shadow sat across from him, mirroring Knuckles posture but keeping his head lifted. He looked at Knuckles and marveled that the always proud echidna looked ashamed. He had no reason to be ashamed. After a morning to think over last night's events, Shadow understood why Knuckles had said those things. "Amy doesn't love me. I don't think she ever will. Still, that doesn't mean I'm going to give up on her."

Knuckle's bowed head lifted, and he stared hopefully at Shadow. "Does that mean you're going to—"

"No." Shadow's voice was resolute. "If Amy and I ever go on a date, it'll happen when it happens, not by anyone's set date. But," his voice and eyes softened, "thank you, Knuckles. I understand that you've been pushing so hard for this because you're my friend, because you want my happiness." Shadow smiled and reached out to pat Knuckles on the shoulder but discovered he was too far away. Shadow scooted forward and then patted Knuckles. "Thanks, little buddy."

Knuckles head drooped. "Shadow…we're going to lose the island and Master Emerald."

* * *

Tails' juice club's doors had been open for two hours. "Only thirteen more hours to go." Lucky for Tails, the science floor was as empty as always, save the occasional worker coming in for her or his check.

Tails, red-eyed and groggy, handed Shea's check to Elvis. "Um, sir. This isn't my paycheck."

Tails squinted up at the black haired human who stood on the other side of the counter. For some reason, the guy looked all shook up. "Oh. Sorry, Elvis." He rummaged through the last remaining paychecks. "Ah, here it is."

The man looked at the name and then nodded. "Well, thanks. And sir?"

"Hmm?"

"Get some rest."

Tails nodded and thanked the man, though he had no intention of sleeping and wanted to slap the man. Elvis worked for him, not the other way around. Stuffing the remaining checks into the safe beneath the counter, Tails muttered, "_You_ get some rest."

"I already took my twelve o'clock nap, thank you."

Tails straightened and found himself looking at Eggman's round belly. Wincing, he craned his neck back and stared at the mad man's beady shades. "What do you want Egghead?"

Eggman frowned and rubbed his mustache. "My, my. Seems someone needs a slap."

Tails bristled. "You can't talk to me like that! I'm a kid!"

"You're a fox. Now, if you don't mind, where is the contract? Listening to sleep deprived brats is not one of the things I feel I must obligate my time to."

"What did you—" Tails faltered. "Did you say contract?"

"Yes, I did."

"What contract?"

About to lose all patience but still just barely holding on, Eggman spoke with slow, clipping words. "The contract you spoke about over the phone, just this morning."

Tails' eyes widened. "Oh, _that _contract. Sorry, it completely slipped my mind."

"No, really?"

Tails ignored the sarcastic tone and retrieved said contract. He placed it on the counter. "Like it says, you'll be required to pay me one hundred thousand dollars every month and will be allowed to use the Master Emerald for one week a month. _One_ week."

Eggman nodded, picking the contract up and skimming through it. "And I won't have to report to you what I'm using the Master Emerald for?"

"Nope. Just make sure I get my money."

Eggman nodded, seemingly satisfied. Laying the contract on the counter, he pulled out a pen and signed his name. "Done," he said.

"Done," Tails agreed.


	6. Chapter 6

She'd waited so long, fought sleep so hard. She kept telling herself that at any minute the phone would ring. When it finally did, the one calling was Cream, not Shadow. Amy almost burst into tears.

"Did you sleep any," Cream asked her.

"No," she replied, voice cracking.

"You need to sleep."

"I can't. Not until he calls."

"Amy, I don't think Sonic will ever call."

At this comment, Amy laughed—a short croaking laugh. "I'm not waiting for Sonic to call. I'm waiting for Shadow."

There was a slight pause, during which Amy wondered if Shadow might now be trying to call. Then Cream spoke. "Oh. I see. Well, don't worry about dinner tonight, Amy. I'll bring something good home for all of us to eat."

"Okay. Well, I'm going to hang up now. Shadow could be trying to call right this minute."

"Don't worry, Amy. He'll call. _He'll call_."

-

**Chapter Six**

-

Shadow sat cross-legged across from Knuckles, listening but not understanding a word. "Lose Angel Island and the Master Emerald. What you talkin 'bout, Knuckles?"

Knuckles did not answer. Instead he did something that would haunt Shadow for minutes to come; he covered his face with gloved hands and cried. "It's all my fault," Knuckles wailed. "I knew I shouldn't have, but I couldn't _hic_ I couldn't help myself!"

Shadow knew little about comforting—except when it came to Amy—so he comforted Knuckles in the only way he knew how. "Be a man!" He slapped Knuckles.

Knuckles cried more. "But I don't wanna be a man."

Shadow slapped him again. "Then be an Eggman!"

"I don't wanna be an Eggman."

Slap! "Then be a guardian of the Master Emerald!"

"I don't—oh wait, I am." Knuckles sighed and dried his face. "Okay, I'm fine." He stood and turned his back to Shadow, allowing the sun's blinding light to stream past him, making him into a black silhouette.

"Very dramatic," Shadow said. "So anyway, what's this about losing the island and Master Emerald?"

Knuckles shoulders heaved up and then relaxed as he released a great sigh. "It's a long story."

"Oh, well in that case, never mind." Shadow started to stand.

"But I can tell you the short version," Knuckles sputtered and quickly turned around.

Shadow re-crossed his legs and clapped his hands. "Yay, story time!"

"It all started two weeks ago, when Tails opened his new juice bar. The sun hung lazily in the sky, casting a feeling of drowsiness on the world, but I wasn't affected since I'm so bada—"

"Oh my freakin gosh," Shadow moaned, bored eyes gazing skyward. "I thought you said this was the short version."

Knuckles crossed his arms and pouted. "Fine, jerk. This is what happened. Tails convinced me to make a trivial bet with him, and I won. When I stopped by the bar the next day, the same thing occurred. And then before I knew it, I was making bets of monumental size and winning every one of them—that's why Tails built our house; I won a bet. Anyway, I couldn't stop myself from betting, it was almost like I was addicted. And then Tails presented me with a bet I couldn't refuse. He would give me his spot as Sonic's sidekick if I won—and you know how I've always wanted to be Sonic's sidekick."

"But what would happen if you lost?"

"If I lost…I had to give him my Master Emerald." Shadow gasped. Knuckles quickly explained, "But you have to understand. I'd won ever bet with him thus far, so I didn't think I would lose, especially with what the bet was. He said that you would confess you're love for Amy within a week. I honestly didn't think you would, but then that morning, when you wanted to go shoe shopping, you told me your plans of confessing your love. I wanted to stop you, but I couldn't. Tails and I had agreed that to interfere with you would be considered cheating. So I lost that bet. Naturally, I had to make another bet to get the Master Emerald back. This time, I put Angel Island on the line, and I bet that you could get Amy to go on a date within a week."

Shadow stiffened. "So that's why you kept pushing me to go out with Amy. Not because you wanted me to be happy but because of some stupid bet."

Knuckles fell to his knees. His hands rested against his thighs, and his head bowed. "I'm sorry, Shadow. I'm so sorry." Shadow stood, and Knuckles looked up. "Where are you going?"

"To make things right."

"Wha…but you can't! If Tails finds out that I've been interfering with you, I'll automatically lose the bet. I'm sure that we can get Amy to—"

"No." His eyes were hard as steel and cold as ice. "No more games. No more using people. This bet ends today."

* * *

Tails downed his twentieth cup of coffee and rubbed blood shot eyes. He sat behind his bar, sketching out plans for _Juice Is Us_—a juice hotel and airport merger. "This idea is revolutionary," he muttered spasmodically, shoulder and eye twitching with every word he spoke. "Gonna make even more money. Yeah, more money." He suddenly burst out laughing; that's when the elevator doors swished open, but Tails didn't notice—too busy drawing clown faced planes.

"Tails."

Stern and parent-like, Sonic's voice fell into the fox's ears. Upon hearing this voice, Tails looked up at his hedgehog guardian, staring in honest bewilderment. "Do I know you," Tails asked.

"This is bad." Sonic turned to Shadow, who stood next to him. "Why didn't you tell me he'd been staying up late?"

Shadow shrugged. "How was I supposed to know? I only drink here."

Tails watched the two, curious about what they wanted. Suddenly realizing why they were here, he pointed his pencil at them and glared. "The electric company sent you, didn't they? They want to steal my electrifying ideas! Well you can just march your fannies back to your boss and tell him electricity burns. BURNS. _Ya hear_?"

"Is he drunk," Shadow asked.

Sonic sighed heavily and shook his head. "No, just sleep deprived." He moved around the counter. "A nice long nap should have him back to normal." Tails jumped up from his stool, pointing his pencil threateningly and screaming bloody murder. Ignoring the pencil and screams, Sonic sped behind Tails and karate chopped him on the back of the head. He caught the fox before he fell to the floor and settled him on the makeshift cot beneath the counter. "When he wakes up, we'll talk about this bet thing you were telling me about," Sonic told Shadow. "But until then," he pulled out two glasses, "wanna drink?"

* * *

Amy could no longer fight it. The sandman had poured too much sand in her eyes. "Sorry, Sonic," she whispered. "I wasn't able to stay awake for Shadow's call." Her eyes drifted shut, her world faded to black, and she fell sideways onto the soft seat cushions.


	7. Chapter 7

Cream stomped into the office of Jack Lowe—owner of Chili-O-Rama—and tossed her cleaning rag onto his desk. "I'm taking my break and I don't know when I'll be back," she snapped. She turned and was out the door before she could see the look of admiration on Jack's face. He liked her spunk, attitude, crass; and he often found himself wishing his own six-year-old daughter were more like Cream, saying "Now" and "You better" rather than "Please" and "Thank you."

"I'd love to meet the woman responsible for making her," he wistfully said.

Meanwhile, Cream tramped down the sidewalk, blood boiling with rage. Shadow was responsible for her missing out on a delectable home cooked meal and delightful bedtime story. She'd make the fiend pay once she found him. Though a search was unnecessary, because there was only one place in town a penniless bum like Shadow could go.

-

**Chapter Seven**

-

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

Shadow sat at the bar on the science floor, his hand wrapped round an empty glass and a half-filled jug of Pink Princess Strawberry Splash next to it. Tails and Sonic sat facing each other on the other side of the bar. Sonic, testing the recently awakened Tails for cognizance, held up two fingers.

"Two, Sonic," Tails moaned, clearly annoyed.

"Good. And I guess we can skip the next question which was, who am I? Now, tell me what two plus two are."

"Four."

"And what's 7,863,434 times 35,424?"

"Can we stop this!"

"Answer the question Tails," Sonic sternly said.

"It's 278,554,286,016."

Sonic frowned. He looked across the counter at Shadow. "Do you have a calculator?"

"Sonic!" Tails whined.

Sonic relented. "Okay, okay, we're done. But you were really out of it, Tails."

"Well, I'm fine now."

Sonic smiled. "Good, then we can get started with why I came here." His eyes narrowed. "You've been gambling."

Tails eeped.

Shadow refilled his glass.

"Wha-what are you talking about," Tails asked. His eyes shifted warily from Sonic to Shadow to Sonic.

"I'm talking about you swindling Knuckles."

Tails laughed nervously. "Swindle Knuckles? How could I possibly swindle someone like Knuckles."

"A baby could swindle that fool. Anyway, I know what you've done Tails, so there's no use pretending."

All at once, Tails jumped to his feet. He pointed accusingly at Shadow. "Knuckles told you about the bet, didn't he?" Shadow sipped his drink. "Then that means I won! Angel Island is mine." Tails started to do a happy dance, but the look on Sonic's face stopped his feet. "Uh..." Sonic pointed to the stool. Tails sat down. "But I won it fair and square," Tails whined.

"Not another word," Sonic said. "You're not taking Angel Island, and you're giving Knuckles back the rights to the Master Emerald. You're underage and shouldn't be gambling." Sonic shook his head, clearly disappointed. "I thought I raised you better than this."

"You didn't raise me at all."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Sonic glowered at his young charge before continuing. "Now let's discuss your punishment."

"Punishment? For tricking Knuckles?!"

"What? Of course not. You're going to get punished for staying up late. I don't know how many times I've told you that you're to be in bed by eight."

"But So~nic, I made more money."

"No excuse."

"You say that now, but wait until I tell you how much I made."

"Don't care, Tails. You stayed up passed bedtime."

Tails crossed his arms. "Fine. No excuse. I get it. What are you going to do, spank me?"

Tails and Sonic both laughed. "Ah, that one always gets me. No, Tails, I'm not going to do anything. _You_, however, are going to shut this place down."

Tails and Shadow both shouted, "What?"

"But my money," Tails whined.

"But my Pink Princess Straw—"

"You're closing it," Sonic said loudly. And to illustrate just how much he meant this, he put his foot down, and then he put his other foot down.

"Why are you standing," Shadow asked. "Is it because we're done here?"

Just then the elevators opened with a powerful swish. Cream stepped out. "If anyone's done here, it's you."

Hedgehogs and fox turned to see her advancing toward them, moving with a dangerous swagger. All stared with wide, frightened eyes. Cream was known for her fiery temper within the walls of Chili-O-Rama; but once she stepped out of that place, she returned to her normal sugary-sweet self. So for her to come to them as she was now, fire burning in the backdrop behind her, could only mean one thing.

"She's going to kill us," Tails screeched. He latched onto Sonic. "Save me!"

Sonic was too busy foaming at the mouth—eyes rolled to the back of his head—to save anyone.

Meanwhile, Shadow clutched violently at his one source of happiness in this cold, dark world. "Puh-puh-please," he sputtered, "don't hurt the Pink Princess Strawberry Splash."

Cream's eyes narrowed and she stopped three feet away from them. "The only one I'm going to hurt," dramatic pause, "is you." And then she pointed at Shadow to remove all doubt as to whom she meant.

Immediately, Sonic and Tails relaxed. "Hoo-boy, I'm glad I was wearing a diaper. Not that I needed it," Tails said.

Sonic's brow scrunched. "But you're not wearing a diaper."

"Then it's a good thing I didn't need it."

Cream silenced them with a look that said, "Don't make me kill you." To Shadow she gave a look that said, "Why haven't you called her?"

"I never learned how to read looks," Shadow whimpered.

Cream started to say in words what she meant, but the elevator opened again. This time, its swish was elegantly evil. Eggman stepped out and all eyes turned to him. "I've brought my checkbook, Tails. You do accept checks, I trust."

Cream, rage flaring at being interrupted, turned a savage look on him. But her livid eyes did not phase Eggman. Instead, it was his cool gaze that phased her. This calm, cultured man with a swagger that pulsed with a maliciousness both chilling and magnetic, left Cream feeling like the simpleminded child she was. Frightened to have her persona breeched, she looked away.

The floor was now Eggman's. Knowing this, he strode past Cream and stopped next to Shadow at the bar. He pulled out his modish checkbook and fountain pen. "Tails, should I make this check out to you or," he eyed Sonic with distaste, "your _guardian_?"

Sonic glared at his nemesis. Eyes never leaving the towering man, he asked Tails, "What's this all about?"

"Just a little business venture," Eggman said mildly. His pen was poised and ready to write.

Sonic growled. "Tails?"

Tails laughed nervously. "Well um...it's just a little business venture."

"Tails." Sonic's voice was sharp.

Tails twitched. "I..." His shoulders drooped. "Okay, you see, I was really tired cuz I hadn't been sleeping, and so I got this _crazy_ idea."

"What kind of idea," Sonic asked.

Eggman patiently waited to be directed on whose name to write on the near completed check.

"Well," Tails continued, "I thought maybe I'd let Eggman use the Master Emerald for a week every month if he gave me a hundred thousand dollars."

"Tails!" Sonic roared.

"Then Tails it is," Eggman said and wrote the fox's name. Eggman tore the check out and offered it to the fox.

Sonic snatched it and ripped it into pieces. "The deal's off," Sonic told him.

Eggman put away his pen and checkbook. "That's a shame. You see, in the contract signed by both myself and your young protégé, there is a clause detailing what will happen if Tails should decide, for any reason, to back out of our little _business venture_." Eggman paused. Sonic waited impatiently for the grotty details; Eggman pleasantly made him wait. Finally, "Tails must come work for me as one of my minions. I think he'd make a lovely robot, don't you?"

For several seconds, Sonic stared at Eggman with a look that surpassed hatred. Then he sighed and shrugged. "Okay."

Eggman blinked in bafflement.

Tails stared in disbelief. "You can't be serious!"

Sonic angrily shook his finger at Tails, "Don't raise your voice at me, young man."

"But he's going to roboticize me," Tails cried.

"You should have thought about that before you signed that contract," came Sonic's stern reply.

"You can't be serious. You're not going to do anything?"

"Nope." Sonic patted Tails sadly on the shoulder. "Little buddy, it's time you started facing the consequences for your poor decisions. I can't protect you forever."

Tails started crying. "But you can protect me now! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!"

"You'll understand in the future why I did this and be thankful."

"No I won't! I'll be a robot!"

"_My_ robot," Eggman said with a smile. "Now come along like a good little fox."

"You can't make me," Tails screamed.

"Tails," Sonic warned.

Suddenly Shadow shouted. "Stop!" All eyes turned to him. He sat, clenching the last glass of his Pink Princess Strawberry Splash—the pitcher completely drained. His eyes were downcast and his shoulders were tense. A darkness had settled over him, and he seemed—in that moment—the epitome of angst.

"Well," Eggman demanded when Shadow failed to speak further. "Do you have something to say or were you just trying to look cool?"

Shadow downed the rest of his drink. "Both." He set his empty glass on the counter and stood, his gaze lifting to Eggman's face. "I have a proposition for you."

"I'm listening."

"I propose we play a game, each of us putting up something of value; winner takes all."

"You want to gamble," Eggman asked incredulously. "What could a bum like you possibly have to offer."

"My life."

Tails and Sonic gasped. Cream stared dumbly at her shoes. Eggman...Eggman laughed. "Hohohohoho! You're wagering your life for Tails'. What a fine idea. I accept." His dark glasses glinted dangerously. "And what will the game be? Black Jack? Poker?"

Shadow shook his head. "No. Those games are all about luck."

"Nuh-uh!" Sonic interjected.

Shadow ignored him. "The game I choose is..."

* * *

"Go fish."

"This cannot be!" Eggman was getting his butt kicked in Go Fish, a game he'd dominated since childhood.

Shadow smirked as the egg-shaped man across from him drew yet another card. "Back on ARK they called me—"

"Cheater," Eggman supplied.

Tails sat to Shadow's right at one of the many long steel tables on the science floor. Rooting for Shadow, he had been supplying smack talk for him, all six minutes of the game. He continued now. "No, but that's what your daddy called him when he caught him with your mama last night."

"That is enough," Eggman said, sick of Tails' dirty mouth and Shadow's timely luck. He lay his cards on the bar top and stood. "I admit defeat."

Tails whooped and shouted, "Loser!"

Eggman boarded the elevator. "Today, yes. But tomorrow—" The elevators swished shut, cutting him off.

Tails pumped his fist in the air. Shadow went behind the bar to make a drink. Sonic, sitting next to Cream at the bar, listened to the young rabbit's plight. "And so me and Cheese and Chocola didn't get a home cooked meal. And we didn't get a bedtime story."

Confusion and concern creased Sonic's brow. Amy took pride in always making sure to give Cream a warm dinner and to tuck her in. The amount of times she'd told Sonic about these feats, as a way of showing what a wonderful mom she'd make, bordered on the thousands. "Was Amy sick?"

Cream emphatically shook her head. "No, Mr. Sonic." She turned her face toward Shadow and pointed. "Amy was busy waiting for Mr. Shadow to call." She turned back to Sonic, eyes filled with tears. "But he didn't call."

Sonic frowned and stood. Sure he wanted Amy to get over him. Sure it would be nice if after getting over him she fell for someone else. But by no means did he want her falling for someone who would use and abuse her heart...sending her running back to him. "Shadow."

Shadow turned to find Sonic standing next to him. "Sonic?"

"Why didn't you call Amy?"

Shadow's body tensed. "Amy..." He'd finished making his drink, but suddenly he was no longer thirsty. He set the glass on the counter and turned away from Sonic. "I can't call her just yet. I'm not ready to face her."

Sonic's fists clenched. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean," he hissed. "Are you breaking up with her?"

Shadow whirled around. "Breaking up with her? What are you talking about?" His heart pounded. "I'm not even dating her." Yet, he thought.

Sonic's hands relaxed. "Oh." Pause. "But then why is she waiting for you to call?"

"Because of you."

"What?"

Shadow explained. "Amy said that she wanted to know what kinds of girls you like. She asked me to call her when I found out, but how can I? How can I tell her that you like any girl who isn't her?"

"That doesn't make sense," Sonic said. "Amy already knows that. Maybe you misunderstood."

"Really?" Shadow tapped his cheek as he recalled his conversation with Amy. "She said she wanted to know what you liked. She said she was wondering about that because of you being holed up in your hotel room after your doctor appointment. So anyway, she asked me to find out what you like."

"Find out what I like?"

"Yes, what you like."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you, Shadow. You're such an idiot. This is basic Amy 101. She wanted you to find out what type of soup I like."

Shadow didn't understand. "What?"

"She thinks I'm sick or dying or something along those lines." Sonic let out an exasperated sigh. "I should have known this plan wouldn't work. None of them ever do." He shrugged. "Oh well, I guess I'll call her later tonight and tell her that I'm cured."

Cream wasn't having this. She daintily slammed her fists on the countertop, pouting in her cutest way. "No, Mr. Sonic. You need to call her now. She's been up all night waiting for Shadow to call and says she won't go to sleep until he does."

"She's been up all night," Sonic demanded, horrified. Sleep deprivation was something Sonic always took seriously. Years ago—before he'd met Amy, before he'd met Tails—Sonic had stayed awake for three nights in a row. He'd felt cool at the time, being the only kid on the block able to do something like that. Then on the fourth day of no sleep, he went for a run. The land stretched on and on beneath his feet, never stopping, or so he thought. Beyond the point of drowsiness, his eyes saw things that weren't there; his eyes saw land that wasn't there. Running at a speed faster than sound, seven year old Sonic ran off a cliff.

Being the ultimate life form, he suffered only minor injuries and was out of the hospital in two days. But he would always remember the dangers of not getting enough sleep.

"I'm gone," Sonic told Cream. If he was lucky, Amy would still be in her apartment and not plummeting off some unseen cliff.

Tails blinked, and so he missed Sonic's bolt down the stairs.

Sighing, he collected the cards that had been used for Go Fish, thinking all the while of how unfair Sonic was being. The Juice Club had brought in enough income to guarantee both their retirements ten times over. And he'd had so much fun running the place, so much fun sitting behind his bar. He turned to his bar now and found Shadow pouring a drink for both himself and Cream. Shadow still hadn't paid off his tab.

Tails glared, knowing Shadow would never pay off his tab. Shadow needed to leave. "You know, Shadow," he said, "if you were to reach Amy before Sonic, then it could be you holding her and telling her everything is all right."

Tails blinked, but he didn't miss Shadow's dash down the stairs.

* * *

When Shadow reached Amy's apartment, her door stood open. Standing outside the doorway, all fantasies of scooping a couch reclining Amy into his arms faded. Sonic, as always, had arrived first.

"Amy?" He could hear Sonic inside, and knew the blue hero must have arrived just seconds before him. "Amy? Amy?" Sonic spoke in a soft, gentle tone, but the repeated calling of Amy's name set Shadow on edge. He zoomed through the doorway and...His feet stopped their motion. His breath caught in his throat.

Sonic sat on one knee before the couch that Amy lied sideways on. But this sight isn't what halted Shadow in his tracks. What stopped him was the vision of Amy waking—eyes fluttering open, clouding with confusion, and then flooding with love. _Look at me_, his heart urged her. Her gaze remained fastened to Sonic.

"Sonic?" Her voice seemed to say she feared she was dreaming.

Sonic's shoulders heaved and then relaxed. He was relieved. "You're okay." He chuckled. "I was actually worried about you. Funny, isn't it?"

Amy smiled. "What's funny is that I've been worried about you. But you seem to be fine."

Sonic nodded. "Yeah. Sorry about that. I got your message from Shadow."

"I was going to make you soup."

"So I heard. But listen Amy, what you did was really dangerous, and you had Cream worried sick."

"Dangerous? Worried?"

Sonic went on to explain the dangers of sleep deprivation. Amy listened carefully. Shadow watched.

Shadow watched the two and saw a scene that sent a nail through his heart; Sonic kneeled in front of her, his hand over hers, voice filled with affection (Others looking on the scene would say that Sonic was just being a concerned citizen, kneeling firmly on his soapbox.). And then Shadow knew. He knew why Sonic was always first to come to Amy's rescue, why so often he never ran full force when she chased him, and why he always seemed to be wondering if Amy wasn't thinking about him. It was because Sonic loved Amy.

Shadow wondered how he hadn't seen it before. Then he wondered if Sonic saw it himself. If Sonic didn't now, he eventually would. And eventually could be a minute. Or an hour. Or a day. Or a year.

Shadow looked at Amy. She definitely would wait for eventually. His vision began to blur. Yes, Amy would wait forever for Sonic to realize that he loved her just as much as she loved him. And, eventually, Sonic would.

Shadow's heart crumbled.

He ran from the room. He ran down the hallway, down the stairs, down the street. He ran and ran, till his lungs felt like they were on fire, and still he ran more.

When he stopped, he was in some unfamiliar meadow in some unfamiliar land. The sun was setting.

He fell backward into the tall grass and thought of Amy. He thought that she most definitely was not thinking about him. He thought that maybe he should stop thinking about her, though he didn't want to stop. But his heart ached. She'd unknowingly crushed it again, grinding it into dust with pointed heeled shoes. And he didn't want his heart to keep breaking, while he hoped for something he'd never attain: her love.

The tears started to fall, and he covered his eyes with his arm. "I can't love you anymore," he whispered. "There's just no point."


	8. Chapter 8

**_Part 2:_**

_Do you love me?_

Still don't.

**Still do.**

* * *

After his defeat at Tails' juice club, Eggman retreated to the Bahamas for a much needed vacation. That had been one month ago. Now he was back home and ready to conquer the world. And he knew just how he'd do it. He'd build an airship.

-

**Chapter Eight**

-

Front. Left. Right. Back. Of the four sides Amy saw of Sonic on a near daily basis, she most often glimpsed his back. She might be browsing the library when she unexpectedly saw his back across the room and instinctively cried out his name, knocking over twelve bookshelves in her flight toward him. Or maybe she was at a movie rental store when she inexplicably happened upon his back as he walked down the romance isle, or maybe it was at the grocery store, or the park, or the mall. She would catch sight of his back and run toward him, screaming his name and knocking down anything or anyone in her way.

Most people in Topaz town saw Amy's front. Many had memories of her charging toward them as she pursued Sonic, just as many had been injured in her heated pursuits. The result: the people of Topaz town, while despising all sides of Amy, loathed the sight of her front the most.

Amy knew of their disgust and blamed it not on her inadvertent punches but on her overwhelming cuteness, which so often set Sonic's feet running (the shy guy!).

Currently at the grocery store, Amy found that the balsamic vinegar she needed for her terrine was on the top shelf, far from her reach. After several attempts of gaining help from a staff (four of whom she'd previously knocked into a tower of canned food) that refused to help her, Amy rolled her cart dejectedly to the checkout line. If only she could get the staff to accept her beauty, she thought.

If only she could get Sonic to stop running from it.

* * *

Angel Island basked in the sunny weather of summer. Its trees and grass shivered from the cool touch of the occasional breeze. Its ancient ruins continued their decline in that slow, lazy way of the season. So calm, so quiet was the atmosphere that one would not guess the peril the island had been in three weeks earlier when its owner, Knuckles the Echidna, had foolishly gambled away his rights to it. But all was fine now, for Shadow had restore ownership to Knuckles. A phone call from Tails had informed Knuckles of the visit Shadow and Sonic had paid him. With a mumble about how Knuckles was a bigmouthed rat, Tails informed the echidna that their deal was officially null and void.

Presently sitting on his knees before the master emerald, Knuckles scrubbed the large gem like there was no tomorrow. When he was almost done, standing on his tip-toes to finish shining the top, he heard the familiar footfalls of the hedgehog who had been his island's guest. Knuckle's eyes narrowed and he dropped his cloth. Swiftly turning, he swung fast and hard. His fist connected with Shadow's jaw, and he pleasantly watched Shadow fly back against the ground.

"What was that for," Shadow demanded. Sitting up, he rubbed his jaw.

Knuckles replied with an icy glare.

Shadow glared back. "Well hello to you too."

"You want a hello?" Knuckles sneered. "Then how 'bout a good-bye before you disappear for weeks on end."

Three weeks ago, Shadow left to restore ownership to Knuckles…and didn't come back. Phoning Sonic and Tails, Knuckles discovered that they hadn't seen him around either. And so Knuckles did something he was unaccustomed to doing: he worried for someone other than the Master Emerald.

Knuckles worried for the Master Emerald as part of his daily routine—more for want of something to do than compulsion. And even when the Master Emerald's well-being was actually called into question, Knuckles' worry was always minor. After all, he didn't doubt he could retrieve a stolen Master Emerald or put its shattered pieces back together; he'd done so, many times. But Shadow missing, this wasn't something he knew he could do anything about. In the first place, he was unaware of the cause for Shadow's disappearance. So Knuckles worried—truly and honestly worried. Anger followed this worry, because why should he have to worry about someone other than the Master Emerald; he wasn't Shadows guardian! Yet he couldn't stop himself. So when Shadow finally reappeared, a punch seemed reasonable compensation for all those restless nights spent awake, tossing and turning in bed, fighting back images of a friend's body in some gutter.

Shadow—being the sensitive guy he is—understood, by Knuckles' last statement, those days of apprehension, and so the punch and, too, his own thoughtlessness—however unintentional. "I'm sorry."

Knuckles, his heart being softer than his punch, instantly said, "I forgive you." He helped Shadow to his feet and then asked what he'd been wondering all three weeks. "Where have you been?"

There were many ways to answer this question. Shadow could explain his run to that lovely meadow spurred by the disgusting scene of endearment between Amy and Sonic. He could start by talking about the days spent as a hobo while he attempted to forget Amy—out of sight, out of mind, out of heart. He could tell of the time with the Cub Scouts he'd run into, who'd been good enough to show him how to live off the land (coupons, they explained and handed him a book full of them). Or he could keep it short and simple since Knuckles' mind was known to wander during lengthy explanations. "Everywhere and nowhere."

"Cool," Knuckles said. "Hey, let's order pizza to celebrate you're return."

Shadow thought of the pizza that always arrived late and cold. "Sure." He was in the mood for something familiar if not appetizing.

Following Knuckles into the house, he thought of Amy and his smile faltered. She'd been out of his mind for three weeks. Hopefully that was enough time to put her out of his heart.

* * *

Amy sneezed and knew it must be because Sonic was thinking of her. Giggling, she opened her apartment door. Her two reusable grocery bags hung heavily on either arm; she happily set them on the kitchen floor. "Cream," she called out. "I'm back. What do you want me to make for lunch?"

Cream never worked on weekends; weekends were her and Amy's days. Saturday, Amy made Cream anything she wanted to eat. Sunday, Cream received cooking instruction from Amy, so that in the future Cream could use food to catch her man—or fox, Amy often teased.

Unloading the ingredients she'd bought for tomorrow's session onto the counter, Amy called over her shoulder, "Cream? You here?"

"I'm here, Miss Amy."

Amy turned. The young rabbit stood in the kitchen doorway with a smile both bright and apologetic. "Did Cheese wet the bed again?" Cream shook her head. "Then what—" Vanilla Rabbit stepped behind her daughter and nodded graciously at Amy. Amy blinked. "Oh. Your back."

"Yes, and I'm so thankful to you for caring for Cream in my absence." She patted Cream lovingly on the head. "I've left you're babysitting money in an envelope on top of the television. And now if you'll excuse us, we'll finish packing Cream and the Chao's belongings."

Vanilla, Cream, and the Chao were gone ten minutes later. As they left, Cream smiled hopefully up at her mother and asked, "Did you find daddy?"

Vanilla shook her head. "No honey, not this time."

Amy closed the door behind them and sighed. "More like, not ever." Everyone who knew Vanilla had heard of how her ex-husband ran out on her, screaming as he ran. No one but Vanilla knew why, and Vanilla kept her lips sealed on the subject. Amy didn't need to know why to know that Vanilla was wasting her time chasing after him. Obviously, the man wanted nothing to do with woman; if he did he would be here now.

Hoping never to become that pathetic, Amy sat on her Sonic-blue couch and counted her babysitting money. "Oh my gosh!" She jumped to her feet and snatched her pursed. "There's just enough here to buy that dress. And when Sonic sees me in it, he won't be able to keep his hands off me."

* * *

To further the celebration of Shadow's return, he and Knuckles went shoe shopping at Topaz mall—the hottest spot in town. After each had found a pair they liked, they left the store and took the escalator up to the fourth floor where all the clothing stores were located.

"You know," Knuckles said with a glance at his bag, "these shoes were overpriced."

"Yep," Shadow agreed.

"But they were worth every penny."

"Yep."

"So which store do you want to check out?"

"How about _Me Parshalls_?"

"Sure."

Once inside _Me Parshalls_, Shadow and Knuckles separated to find an armful of clothing to try on. They never bought anything when surveying the latest fashions, but they always had a good laugh seeing what the other looked like in clothes. "I'll never understand why these things are so popular," Knuckles said as the two headed for the dressing room.

Shadow emphatically nodded. "These things are itchy and annoying and—"

They entered the spacing dressing area with its long row of stalls. The room bustled as stall doors opened and closed, animals and people modeling their latest outfit for a friend, and store employees scurrying forth with new clothes for their selected customer to try on or scurrying away with clothes that just wouldn't do. Amidst all this hustle and bustle Shadow caught sight of Amy. She was exiting a dressing stall to model for the employee she'd paid to help her. "How do I look," she gushed.

She was not talking to Shadow. She was completely unaware of his presence. And yet Shadow found himself answering her. "You're beautiful," he whispered. His heart skipped a beat.

"I'm beautiful," Knuckles asked, brows raised and cheeks flushed.

"What? No—I—" Shadow looked away from Amy and shoved his load of clothes into Knuckles unwelcoming arms. "I can't do this again." He turned and ran, leaving behind a very confused Knuckles and a pair of overly priced shoes.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N – Added a short Eggman opening to the previous chapter.

* * *

Eggman smiled sinisterly and leaned back in his exclusive swivel chair, eyes fixed to the monitor on his desk. The screen exhibited Egg Carrier 133's finished design. More perfect and bigger than Egg Carrier 132, this airship would take no longer than one week to construct. Within that time frame, he would masterfully see to it that the all other fundamentals in his latest plot for world domination were taken care of.

Languidly, he stood and stretched. Heading for his bedroom, he said, "But first, a nap."

-

**Chapter Nine**

-

Sonic sat across from Tails at Chili-O-Rama. His five chilidogs sat on the long plate they'd been delivered on, untouched and seemingly forgotten. Deep in thought, his fingers drummed with quick rhythmic motion against the orange tabletop. His blue brow was creased into attractive wrinkles.

"Tails?"

Tails, chomping on his second and final chilidog, glanced up at his guardian. He was not unaware of the problem that preoccupied Sonic's thoughts. A little while ago Cream had come waltzing through the entrance doors. Sonic waved her over and asked why she'd come to work on her day off. Cream smiled brightly and replied, "I'm quitting. Mama's back." Naturally disturbed by this bit of news, Sonic fell into deep thought. With Cream no longer at Amy's, Amy would have her weekends free to chase him. What could be done to stop her?

Sonic now looked beseechingly at Tails. His eyes begging him to stop Amy, as only Tails knew how.

The fox smiled. He may have been out of business for a month, but he was far from being out of practice. "I want you to lift my punishment."

Sonic's pleading look turned to one of reproof. "Tails." Much could be said with a look and a name, and Sonic often combined Tails' name with a look that set the fox boy straight. However, in this situation, it was Tails who would set Sonic straight. For he knew which look to use and what name to say to get his way.

* * *

Shadow lie sprawled on the living room's couch, one arm draped over his eyes and the other hanging limply at his side. He'd just finished cleaning the house, which had been neglected during his absence—Knuckles never one for doing housework. Having done the cleaning at a normal pace, it had been long and mind consuming, which was exactly what he wanted. Seeing Amy had been too much for him. One glimpse of her and he could hear wedding bells chiming in his ears. So he'd buried his thoughts in eliminating dust, bathtub rings, and other household muck. But the cleaning was now done and he was too tired to move.

His thoughts effortlessly went to Amy—her grass green eyes, melodious laugh, warm hand—and then to the memory that always made his heart overflow with such adoration. In his darkest moment, she smiled gently down at him and soothingly said his name. _"Shadow."_

"Shadow!" The dark hedgehog bolted up. He looked to his left and found Knuckles staring at him with great impatience. "Jeez, man. I said your name about fifty times."

Shadow slid his legs over the cushions so that he sat forward, facing Knuckles. "I was resting."

"Whatever. Anyway, how do I look?" Knuckles placed his hands on his hips, turning slightly left then right.

That's when Shadow noticed. "You're wearing pants! Why?"

Knuckles smoothed out some unseen wrinkle in his black slacks. "Well, after you left me stranded with all those clothes, Marbella put your clothes away and helped me find something that suited me. She said the pants I'd chosen to try on didn't compliment my features."

Shadow shook his head disbelievingly. "You're wearing pants," he said again. "And who's Marbella?"

"Marbella is a _Me Parshalls_ employee. She's really nice Shadow. She could probably help you out." He gave Shadow a doubtful look. "Probably."

Shadow frowned, not liking what that look implied. "I'm fine naked, thank you very much. And you were too an hour ago."

"That was _before_ Marbella told me everything a pair of pants can do for me."

Shadow's brow raised. "And what can pants do for you."

"They can…uh…that is…_Stuff_."

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Look, you don't need pants. Marbella was just trying to make a sale."

Knuckles crossed his arms and shook his head. "Shadow, Shadow, Shadow," he said with a faint smile. "I never took you to be the jealous type."

"What?"

"I know I look awesome in these pants. How can I not? But there's no need for you to get all green-eyed with envy. As hard as it may be to believe, Marbella can help you look half as good. I hear she works miracles on people like you."

Shadow stood. He looked at Knuckle's pants and then at the echidna's face. "I don't like what those pants are doing to you." Turning, he sped out of the house.

* * *

"Tails, my Amy senses tell me she's fifty feet away, but coming fast. This isn't going to work."

The time was one in the afternoon. Every Saturday at this time, Sonic was known to take a stroll through the park with Tails. However, on this particular Saturday, Sonic was nowhere to be seen. And Tails, instead of strolling, noisily sipped a Slurpee whilst standing next to a trashcan that he occasionally spoke to. He spoke to it now. "If you don't stay quiet, she'll figure out your in there."

"But she'll know I'm here even if I'm _dead_ silent. She has some weird way of always knowing where I am."

"Kind of like how you have a weird way of knowing where she is," Tails said before taking another loud sip.

"What are you suggesting!"

Tails kicked the trashcan. "Quiet, here she comes."

"Sonic!" Amy ran up to Tails and grabbed the fox's shoulders. She panted, her head bowed. "Where's Sonic," she gasped.

Tails glanced at the metal wastebasket and took another noisy sip. "Here's around."

Amy released Tails. Her head shot up and she tucked clasped hands beneath her chin. "But _where_," she demanded, head swerving left, then right. "Sonic! Sonic!"

Tails winced at the sound of her loud voice. "I don't think you should shout his name like that. You know how Sonic likes to run when he hears you."

Amy sighed, dropping her hands. "Why _does_ he always like to play chase," she asked.

Tails shrugged. "You know, thrill of the chase and all that. Anyway, I've got something I'd like to talk to you about, Amy."

"Really, what? Though if it's about being my bridesmaid, I've already told Cream she could be it."

Tails waved the suggestion off. "No, it's about a business venture."

"Business?"

"Yeah. But it's pretty hot out here, so can we go to your place and talk about it?"

"Oh, I don't know. I really wanted to show off my new dress to Sonic." She twirled once and struck a cute pose, displaying the new dress that was a carbon copy of her usual red one, excepting the blue color.

"I know, I know." Tails said, looping his arm through Amy's. "But when Sonic doesn't want to be found, he won't. And right now he doesn't want to be found."

Amy sighed. "You're right. Okay, let's go to my place."

"Good. And maybe you can show me some of your recipes. It's been awhile since our last baking session."

"Actually, I just bought some ingredients today for making terrine."

Their voices soon faded. But it wasn't until Sonic could no longer feel Amy's presence within a 100 mile radius that he chose to come out of the trashcan.

* * *

Shadow sped into _Me Parshalls_, purpose propelling his feet. Marbella had put Knuckles under some sort of spella, so he—as the ninja turtles might say—was gonna raise shella! Super concentrating on distorting words in order to make rhymes, Shadow did not see the _Me Parshalls _employee who stepped in front of him. He ran into her and both tumbled to the floor. "What the shell," Shadow shouted as he tumbled.

He landed on top. Placing his hands on either side of the hedgehog he'd knocked over, he pushed himself up to get a good look at her. "Don't you know to look both ways before cro—" Suddenly, his breath caught in his throat. The girl he'd knocked over had quills as green as emerald and eyes as red as his own. From what he could feel of her body pressed beneath his, he knew that she had curves in all the right places. What's more, her face, her being, and her her-ness radiated perfection. He'd landed on top of the perfect female. But this is not why his breath caught in his throat. The perfect female had accidentally kneed him where the sun shone everyday, thanks to his lack of pants.

"I'm sorry," she cried, voice like a songbird.

Her beautiful voice made him look to her lips. Plump lips that promised things Amy's never had: happiness, passion, love. Those lips promised all the perfectness and rightness that the world had hidden from him.

Still in pain from the kick, Shadow gritted his teeth. "What's your name?"

"M-Mary Sue."

Shadow pushed himself off her and stood. "Mary Sue, not Marbella," he asked.

The girl nodded, and held out her hand, expecting him to pull her upright and into his arms. Shadow slapped a penny into her hand and turned. "Marbella," he called out. "I'm looking for a Marbella!"

Mary Sue remained on the floor, forgotten...for now.


End file.
